As it happened: LFC 4-3 FC Salzburg

Champions League Group Stage Game 2
Wednesday 02 October 2019 - 8:00 pm
Anfield
Liverpool4
3FC Salzburg
Show Match Events
⚽️ Mane9'
⚽️ Robertson25'
⚽️ Salah36'
39'⚽️ Hwang
55'⚽️ Minamino
58'↔️ Daka off, Haaland on
60'⚽️ Haaland
Henderson off, Milner on ↔️62'
Wijnaldum off, Origi on ↔️64'
⚽️ Salah69'
79'↔️ Junuzović off, Ashimeru on
Fabinho87'
Salah off, Keïta on ↔️90'
Hide Match Events

Liverpool play their first Champions League game at Anfield since that crucial 4-0 win over Barcelona in last season's semi-final.

The reds went on to win a sixth European Cup in Madrid at the beginning of June, and will be aiming to get this season's campaign back on track tonight.

Salzburg are the current group leaders after the first game - they demolished Genk 6-2 in their opening match, whilst the reds lost away at Napoli.

The reds will miss Joel Matip tonight who picked up an injury against Sheffield United at the weekend - with Joe Gomez set to get the nod ahead of Dejan Lovren in the Liverpool defence.

Salzburg's six goal demolition in their first Champions League game was no fluke.  They are top of the Austrian Bundesliga, having scored 40 goals in their opening 9 games.

Follow the game with us here.

As it happened...

17:29 UK
Pre-match stats

This is the first meeting between Liverpool and Salzburg.

The reds are protecting a 5 year undefeated record at Anfield - stretching back to 2014. It was Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool that were soundly beaten 3-0 by Real Madrid in a rather pitiful Champions League group stage experience in 2014/15.

This is Jurgen Klopp's 20th European game at Anfield with the reds.  His record so far is pretty impressive (P19 W15 D4 L0).

18:56 UK
Confirmed LFC team

Just that one enforced defensive change for the reds...

Adrian, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Henderson, Mane, Salah, Firmino.

Subs: Kelleher, Lovren, Milner, Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lallana, Origi.

19:13 UK
Elsewhere

The other game in our group is approaching the hour mark (kick off was at 6pm BST).

Somewhat surprisingly it's currently Genk 0-0 Napoli, and chances have been evenly spread amongst the two clubs.

19:22 UK
Haaland on the bench

Hat-trick hero from the first leg, Erling Braut Haaland, is on the bench for Salzburg

19:28 UK
Keita on the bench

The reds midfielder played just over an hour against MK Dons last midweek and then had a rest at the weekend - Klopp eager to ease him in gently.

He's on the bench again tonight but likely to come on against his former club.

Keita won two consecutive doubles with Salzburg in 2014/15 and 2015/16 and was named the Austian Bundesliga player of the year in 2016 - before he moved to Germany.

20:00 UK
Almost kick off

The earlier game in this group has ended.

Genk 0-0 Napoli.

Hmm..

20:00 UK
Kick off

We're now underway at Anfield!

20:02 UK

20:04 UK

3' Drilled chance from just outside the box for the away side, but it's wide of Adrian's goal.

20:08 UK

6' Salzburg defending quite tightly so far, eventually Liverpool manage to worm through and earn a corner.

The away side are under pressure but eventually clear.

Early days, but these look half decent.

20:08 UK

8' Trent Alexander-Arnold sends over a cross but there's a defensive interception just before it arrives to Firmino. 

20:10 UK
GOAL

9' Move down the left, Mane passes to Firmino - straight 1-2 back and he squeezes it around the legs of the keeper.

20:22 UK

21' Salah looked like he wanted to take on the whole defence there.  He's eventually stopped after going past three players and it's out for a Liverpool corner.

Salzburg do well to clear the Trent AA corner.

20:24 UK

23' Mid-way through the first half and Liverpool, you'll be pleased to hear, are treating their opponents seriously.

The reds fully deserved of their 1-0 lead so far.  Salzburg can transition quickly to attack, and Hee-Chan Hwang looks lively for them up front.

20:26 UK
GOAL!!!

25' Wow.  Super slick from the reds yet again.

Robertson all the way from left back in to the area, Trent crosses back into the area and Robbo is there to put it away like a number 9 striker!

20:31 UK
Chance

30' Mo Salah should have added the third there.

Fabinho with a great timed ball over the top - Salah beats the offside trap but he drives the shot wide of the left hand side of the goal.

Got to work the keeper at the least, Mo.

20:33 UK

32' Adrian called into action.  Szobozlai with a shot from the left hand side but Adrian beats it away for a corner.

20:34 UK
Praise from the Left Back Club

20:38 UK
GOAL

36' Salah makes amends.

Mane cross, Firmino heads it at the near post and Stankovic in goal just paws it out right in to the path of Mo Salah who taps it in.

This is looking comfortable.

20:41 UK
Goal

39' Hello.  Hee-Chan Hwang collects the ball in the area, he turns van Dijk and puts him on his backside before smashing it into the Kop net.

20:48 UK
HALF TIME

Interesting half.

Liverpool stormed to a 3-0 lead before that goal from Hwang near the end of the half.

Great opening goal with the Mane/Firmino combo, then Robbo storms into the area to add his second goal ever for the reds and our second of the night.  And then a simple rebound tap in for Mo Salah.

Hopefully the next goal goes our way and we can all put our feet up.

Liverpool 3-1 Salzburg.

21:02 UK
Second half

We're back to it.

Let's just take all three points here reds.

21:11 UK

52' Somewhat surprisingly it's the Salzburg fans creating most of the noise inside Anfield at the moment.

Not much excitement in the second half so far. 

21:11 UK

55' This is better.  Mane somehow manages to squirm his way past the defender and from the touchline drags himself into the area.  He finds Wijnaldum who's shot is wide.

21:13 UK
Goal

55' Whoops.  Well, Liverpool have started the second half slowly and Minimao adds a second. 3-2 now.

Hwang crosses it in to the edge of the area and it's fired past Adrian in front of the Austrian fans.

21:16 UK
Salzburg sub...

Salzburg are riding high now and they've now brought on Haaland, who scored a hat-trick in the last game.

60' And they're through again.  They've sliced open the reds defence and should have equalised but their shot was saved at the near post.

Worrying.

21:18 UK
Goal

60' Haaland scores a simple tap-in.

Dear oh dear.  Liverpool are getting Istanbuled here.

21:19 UK
LFC Sub

62' Henderson is off, James Milner is on.

21:22 UK
LFC Sub

More changes.

64' Wijnaldum makes way and on comes Origi - Liverpool have to get the points here and are going for a more attacking formation.

21:26 UK
GOAL!

69' MO SALAH!!!! He puts Liverpool back in front.  Firmino with a headed flick on and Salah smacks it with his left foot into the net.

4-3 to the reds.

Deep breath.

21:35 UK

76' Milner fires in a shot.  Defender sticks out his leg behind him and fortunately for Salzburg, it goes out for a corner.

Ball is sent into the area but Salzburg shift it out for a throw in on the opposite side.

21:36 UK
Sub

78' Another change for Salzburg. Junuzović heads off and Ashimeru is on for the final stages of this game.

Not done yet, this.

21:40 UK

83' At least ten minutes to go with all the stoppages for goals and substitutions.

Salzburg still working that long ball down the left wing that seems to be catching the reds out so often.

Might not get an opportunity for Keita to come on here, now.

21:44 UK
Almost special

87' Alexander-Arnold pings in a forward pass to the edge of the area at pace, it's an immediate side-heel by Salah but Firmino doesn't hit the shot first time and it's cleared.

Fabinho collects a yellow card near the half-way line.

Narrow lead for the reds heading into the final moments...

21:46 UK
LFC Sub

90' Well well, Naby Keita is coming on against his old club.  He's got a job to do here in the final few minutes.  No time to enjoy it!

21:47 UK
Three more

90' Just the three added minutes at the end of this game.

21:54 UK
FULL TIME

Liverpool 4-3 FC Salzburg

3-0 up, switched off and Salzburg exposed the reds and boy could they finish.  3-3.

But to give credit to Liverpool, they didn't melt away when Salzburg equalised.  They powered on and got the winner to get all 3 points.  An important 3 points.

21:56 UK

21:59 UK

Liverpool play Genk in the next two games, away first.

Going to be interesting to see how the two games between Napoli and Salzburg turn out.

22:13 UK
Next up

The reds welcome Leicester City, and Brendan Rodgers to Anfield at the weekend.

The Foxes have started the season very well and are clear in 3rd place behind ourselves and Man City.

Should be a very good game.



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